The Next Generation
by Kgirl1
Summary: DOUBLE SEQUEL to "A Place to Call Home!" Yes, I went there.
1. Chapter 1

**Wow, so I just read this great book called "The Hunger Games," awhile back, and guess what they have in Panem? Peacekeepers. Grrr…..I feel stupid. Anyway, this is the third "book" in the now saga of Stella, thanks to Anime-Cartoon Freak who suggested I write about their kids. Now, I was a bit sad to end the series too, so I was happy to comply :)**

"Woah!" Curt exclaimed. "It's a Bakugan!"

"Curt, please." I rolled my eyes, shivering in the bitter cold. We were still wearing our summer clothes, and this BattleZone was the opposite. I surrounded myself and the kids with warm air, and Lily gave me a knowing smile.

"Well, what is it then?" He asked, gesturing in front of us. The small mountain of ice was translucent, and I could see some sort of red life-form…I don't exactly pay attention during Mom and Dad's stories, but whatever it was, this guy looked big, scary, and angrier than Abbi after her mom accidentally shrunk her favorite sports bra. I swear, that bra was MAGIC.

"It's a Red Sentient. Dad taught us about them, remember? This one is Krytus. He was banished by Sage after the war ended." Lily said, in that annoying encyclopedia-style voice of hers. Yup, you guessed it; she's one of _those_ kids. Loves our parents, all A's, but I thank God every day she isn't a teacher's pet. I do not need _that_ staining my rep. The kid's kinda shy, but a few of my friends have sisters her age, so I'm working on it.

"Oh sweet!" Curt exclaimed, getting closer to the ice. "This guy looks super mad!"

"You would be, too, if Beth trapped you in a refrigerator for all eternity right before you had the chance to take over the Multiverse." Lily replied instantly.

"Wait, what?" I said, suddenly more interested. "What did Beth do?" Lily rolled her eyes.

"You know, if you weren't so busy trying to figure out how to heat up the air around you and instantly straighten you hair, you might learn a thing or two from Mom and Dad. They teach us this stuff for a _reason_, you know." She scoffed.

"Hey, all I wanted to know was why Beth has anything to do with Krytus! I didn't ask for a one-way ticket to lecture-land." I retorted.

"Geez, you two. _Chill_ out!" Cole started laughing.

"Right," Beth began. "Well, after the Red and Blue Sentients were unfrozen/reunited with their minds, they all wanted peace. So, Sage, Krytus's TWIN," She nodded at Beth to make sure I understood. "Banished Krytus way out here, and now-"

"Yeah, yeah, Vert became the leader of the Council of Five, Mom married Dad, and boom, we're alive. Point is, what are we still doing here?" I said boredly.

"I wonder if I could melt it…" Cole muttered, tracing a hand across the ice.

"Cole, bad idea. You can barely stand weather that drops below fifty degrees!" I said. "You aren't strong enough to melt _that_." I fervently hoped he wasn't. The kid was a sixth grader, and to be honest I haven't been paying much attention to my siblings' abilities, but the Red Sentient looked strong, cunning, and ready to rip someone's throat out.

"Oh yeah?" Cole demanded. _Right._ Here's the thing about Fieras…They get frustrated, angry, and take offense a lot more easily than other Peacekeepers. It's actually crazy how in touch we are with our element. Like, take Lily. She turned out to be an Agua, instead of a Flora. My mom had seen it coming; she had actually named her Lily in terms of water-Lily. I hate to admit it, but she can be pretty clever. Point is, if Lily gets mad, you have NO IDEA. Like, it's scary! She's total pokerface, calm, façade, whatever, but underneath, the water's boiling. Pardon the water pun.

"I bet I could." Cole muttered, clenching his fists and glaring at the mound of ice that held the Red captive.

"Cole! Don't!" Beth exclaimed, shivering a little in the cold.

"Don't tell me what to do!" He snapped. _Crap_. I thought. I sucked the warm air from around him, but it didn't help. The kid was literally fired up.

Friggin' Peacekeeper puns. I swear, it comes with the Essence. I should probably back up a little as to, oh, I don't know, how we Takazumi kids got into this situation?

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"Hi honey!" My mom said cheerily as I slung my backpack into my locker.

"Hey, Mom." I greeted her, going over for a hug and cookie. "So, I was wondering, since it's Spring Break, could Abbi sleep over tonight?" I hinted. Mom was actually pretty cool about stuff like this; apparently she was a real social butterfly in high school.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Claire, but we're going back home for break, remember?" Mom bit her lip apologetically.

"What?" I gasped. "But Mom! I made plans with the girls!" "The girls" being my best friends besides Abbi: Brittany, Delia, and Ellie. Most people just call us the A.C.

"Sorry, Claire, but you've known about this for quite some time. You'll have to re-schedule." She said, wiping off the counter.

"Mom! That's not fair!" I complained.

"Claire, you know it is. We haven't seen Rose and Aaron since Christmas." My mom reminded me sternly.

"But we ALWAYS go there! Why can't we go somewhere _cool_ like Disneyworld?" I begged.

"Because Disneyworld isn't my HOME. Claire how many girls REALLY get to go to a different _planet_ for break? You're more blessed than you realize!" Mom said.

"Clearly I'm not, because I have to miss a WHOLE WEEK of gossip, pedis, tanning and Delia's pool party!" I shouted.

"Claire, I know what it's like. You'll have plenty of fun when we get ba-"

"You don't know what it's like!" I screeched. "You didn't have friends! You lived in a _jungle_ for nine years!" I took a deep breath, preparing for the final assault.

"You didn't even have _parents_!" I finished, sprinting up to my room. It was all so unfair! My mom was free as a bird at my age, and here I am, trapped. After a few minutes of sobbing into my pillow, realizing I would ruin my mascara, stopping, looking in the mirror at my red face and then crying all over again, there was a knock on the door.

"It's closed for a reason!" I snapped, but of course that didn't stop my dad. He silently padded in and sat down next to me on the bed, and began talking.

"You know, Claire, your mother has had a lot of pain in her life." He began, and I pulled the pillow over my head. But this didn't staunch the flow of guilt.

"And I don't think you understand that, because she's tried to shelter you. Your mother doesn't want her children knowing about the horrors of the world, of her past just yet, but if you two are ever going to see eye-to-eye, you need to know. You're old enough." He continued, calm, as if he was telling a story.

"Age seven. She found out that she was an Omnis; one of the most powerful people in the Multiverse and most wanted dead. She watched hulking, animal humanoids mercilessly slaughter everyone she had ever known and loved." Dad paused.

"She saw her sibling's corpses and watched Kalus torture her parents into eventual death. Your mother was beaten, abused, and kept in a pit full of bloodthirsty Vandals and the few surviving Peacekeepers. And she was seven." I kept my head under the pillow but was hanging onto every word.

"Age eight. The other Peacekeepers had died long ago, but knowing she was an Omnis they had never talked to her anyway. Stella met a Blue Sentient, Mortalus. He helped her develop her powers and escape. Four years later, she watched the only friend she'd ever had die." My dad continued on, almost emotionless, like an audio tape. An audio tape I wanted to jam the stop button on and throw into the darkest corner of my closet. But he went on.

"At twelve, she was re-captured by Kalus, enslaved for four more years until we showed up. And it still didn't end then." He said, and I felt a tear slide down my cheek, but it wasn't for myself.

"After she finally thought she was safe, Stella found about her family. Her dead, slaughtered family, except her brother, who didn't even want her to stay." My dad let out a bitter laugh. "Ouch, huh?"

I lifted my head for a nod.

"But the most fascinating thing about your mother is that through all of this she's barely cried. I literally, _lived through_ her experiences as a slave, and through the pain, torture, and whipping, not once did she cry."

"Nuh-uh." I said, in disbelief, previous rage forgotten.

"Mhm. When she gave birth to you…not a sound."

"No!" I gaped. Dad nodded.

"All five of you. By the time the twins rolled around the doctors remembered her, but the first time they were in shock. Running tests, plugging in a thousand monitors…it was unheard of." He finished, then paused.

"Your mother doesn't like to show pain, Claire." He said softly. "Not for me, not for anyone."

"But she's down there, trying not to cry, because of what you just said to her." Dad said, and I felt another tug of guilt. We both stared at each other for a second, leaving our eyes to communicate and not saying a word. I huffed, and stomped out.

"FINE."

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"Hey, Mom." I said slowly, sliding onto a stool in the kitchen. Mom was washing furiously washing dishes in the sink. It must be tough, being the Omnis. I know how Cole can be, but having an internal battle between all FOUR elements? I'm just glad she has a distraction.

"Uhm, about what I said earlier…" I drew out the apology, wincing. "I'm sorry. I didn't really know much about your past until now, and I didn't mean to bring it up."

"Oh, of course you did, honey." My mom said, surprising me. "You knew exactly how much it would hurt, and you said it because of how angry you were. You can't help that you're a Zephra."

"Wait, what?" I stopped her, mostly confused but kind of offended.

"Air is an interesting element, Claire." She said, drying off a plate and whisking it into the cupboard with a flick of her wrist. "For every breeze, something is moved. For every emotion you feel, you want someone else to feel it equally. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." She stated calmly.

"So, when I was mad at you…" I began, somewhat understanding.

"Literally speaking, your breeze wanted to "rustle some leaves," pardon the punny explanation." My mom winced. "You wanted your anger to affect someone else, and congratulations, you succeeded. Don't worry, we can work on it."

"Oh. I'm sorry." I said again. "Mom, when you get mad, what's it like to have four different "personalities" going on in your Essence?" My mom paused for a second, eyes gazing out the window and straight into space.

"Overpowering. That's why it takes practice." And with that, she concluded our little "chat."

Welcome to the Takazumi household, where Essence-fueled emotions run wild!

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The next day, we left for Handler's Corners. Yay, car rides. Let's just say that when Cole tries to burn a chunk of my hair off because I won't pass him the freaking fruit snacks, I don't get too happy! Then Lily tries to calm me down by DRENCHING MY HAIR WITH WATER, so this story ends with both of them almost suffocating to death by me and Mom having to suck the water out of my hair.

Ah, family. Speaking of which…

"Curt! Hands. OFF. The Battle Keys!" I snapped.

"But they're so COOL!" Curt exclaimed, piling as many as he could into his arms. I "breezed" them away and back into the vault. "Aw, man." He pouted.

"Swiper, no swiping!" Beth yelled. Being a second grader, it's been a year or two since she's watched that show, but some things just stick. AND HAUNT YOU _FOREVER_.

"Okay, where's the Key…" Dad muttered, typing onto a keyboard. My Mom was earnestly chatting with Sage, her back turned to us kids. I really do question her parenting skills, especially at times like this, when Curt takes the BattleKey he was hiding under his shirt and runs off with it.

"Curt!" I hissed, following him out into the desert along with Cole, Lily, and Beth.

"What?" He shouted over his shoulder, kicking the BattleKey ninja-style (Yes, my brothers are learning Muay Thai. It keeps getting harder and harder for us girls to get the TV remote back!) The blue portal swirled open, to which Zone I couldn't tell, but it was most definitely NOT hom-MY MOM'S HOME.

"Close that!" I demanded.

"Aw, come on, Claire-Bear!" Curt teased.

"Don't call me that!" I snapped. It was what my mom called me when I was, like, three. I grew out of it! I swear!

"What's wrong, Claire-Bear? Afraid of a widdle BattleZone?" Cole asked smugly. I swear, if I was a Fiera the kid would be BALD. Like, I would be able to see my reflection on his scalp.

"No." I crossed my arms. "I just don't want you to trip over a rock and break something."

"Hey!" He replied.

"Fighting won't solve anything." Beth reminded us. Hmph. Terras. Mature, "grounded"….THE PUNS ARE BACK!

"Come on, let's go in! Just to see?" Curt begged.

"Curt! No! Mom and Dad said we can't go into a BattleZone without them." Lily said, and for once I was glad for her goody-two-shoes attitude. I didn't want to have to say it!

"Aw, just one time…" Cole pleaded.

"No! Boys, close it!" I said firmly, right as Curt darted into the portal. "CURT!" Cole soon followed, and I ran after them with Lily and Beth on my heels.

And that just about brings you up to date on our little "adventure," here.

"Cole, I'm telling you, don't do it. You remember what Dad told us about this guy!" I said.

"But I can melt it!" He shouted.

"That ice is several feet thick. I think it would be difficult for even Mom to melt it." Lily commented, and that really blew Cole's fuse.

Okay, again with the puns? REALLY? Sorry, I swear I'm done!

Cole stormed over to the ice, placing his palm on it and closing his eyes. I could literally feel the heat in the air as little water droplets started to roll off the mound.

"Cole!" Beth shrieked, hiding behind me. Curt and Lily gathered as well, Lily trying in vain to re-freeze what Cole had melted. Unfortunately, he was a sixth grader, and she was only in fourth.

"I'm almost through…" He muttered, and I could have _sworn_ that the Krytus' eyes flashed pure evil.

"Cole, please! You don't need to prove anything!" I shouted.

"Just his hand!" Cole yelled back, as the last shards of ice liquidized and fell to the ground, revealing the Reds' fingertips.

"Ok, there, you did it!" I convinced. "Now come, _on_!" I tried to pull my gaggle of kids away, hoping that a few phalanges weren't enough to arouse a cryogenically frozen Sentient.

"Fine. I told you I could do it." Cole crossed his arms, grinning smugly. I rolled my eyes when we heard a cracking sound from behind us, and I froze, not daring to turn around.

"Claire?" Beth whispered. I squeezed her hand as the sound of ice shattering into a million pieces assaulted our ears, and I screwed my eyes shut, praying to wake up, when the most sinister, evil voice that I know will never leave my thoughts penetrated the silence. Krytus spoke.

"Hello, children."


	2. Chapter 2

"Uh, Cole?" I murmured. He slightly turned toward me, not daring to move.

"If we make it out of this alive, you are so dead."

"I wouldn't count on making it out of this…_alive_." The voice sneered, and I slowly turned around, my siblings following suit in a little huddle. We looked like a pack of birds, with the twins clutching my legs and Cole and Lily shrinking in towards the center.

"I have to thank you for freeing me, children." Krytus said calmly as his right hand transformed into a blade. The twins and Lily jumped back; even Cole shaking a little. I tried to subtly put up a barrier of air, but Krytus seemed only slightly restrained.

"Hmm…Interesting." He mused, looking straight at me, his eyes chilling despite the fiery core. "Can it be?" He stepped towards us, and the huddle broke, everyone scattering away from the threat. Except me.

Look, I didn't get my siblings' reflexes, okay?

Krytus laughed, as if amused by our pitiful efforts, then suddenly lunged toward me, grabbing the collar of my shirt.

"Hey! This is new!" I defiantly exclaimed the first, and probably worst, thing that came into my head. Krytus just snarled.

"How did you get here, human?"

I gulped, then noticed Beth and Curt working together to form some sort of avalanche. Beth gave me a thumbs up, and I tried to stall.

"Oh, the usual." I said vaguely, and he growled.

"Give me an _answer,_ human!" He shouted angrily, forming his left hand into a blade.

"A-a portal!" I squeaked out just as the snow began falling. I gotta hand it to Curt and Beth; they know how to throw it down! A huge ton of ice, snow and rocks came hurtling down at Krytus….and me. Okay, so they aren't perfect. Fortunately, I could fly away, which is exactly what I did while the avalanche buried Krytus. I heard his cry of rage as I landed next to Lily, raising my shaky arm for a high five.

"We don't have time." She denied me. "We have to get back to Earth before Krytus is able to follow!" Sure enough, the pile of snow that buried the Red was already starting to melt.

"Okay, kids, let's get out of here!" I announced, trying to stay in control. We all exited through the portal, making SURE to close it behind us.

"Claire? What happened?" My mom ran towards us as we emerged from the portal, along with Dad, giving the twins hugs. "You scared us half to death!"

"Uhm…." I bit my lip, but my loyal siblings made it clear that their mouths were closed. "Well, we…" Just then, a portal opened behind us. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for Krytus to grab me and yank me back with him, when I heard a deep, gravelly voice.

"You!" It demanded, and I opened my eyes to see a huge gray golem. _Rawkus_, I remembered. Uhm, Balance-y guy, gave Peacekeepers their powers; he has some sort of nickname too….whatever. What's he doing here?

_Crap._ _We're so screwed._

"Rawkus?" Sage inquired. "What brings you here?"

"These children." He said, pointing incriminatingly at our little group.

"I'm sorry, what?" Mom stepped forward. "Rawkus, with all due respect, my children haven't done anything wron-"

"Hmph. That's what you think." He said, dismounting from the bike. "Just minutes ago there was a large shift in the balance of the Multiverse."

"What do you mean?" Sage asked nervously.

"Krytus has been unfrozen." Rawkus replied gravely.

"What? How?" Dad demanded. Oh yeah, we were screwed for sure. Goodbye, phone. Goodbye, iPod. Goodbye-

"These children escaped into his BattleZone. The Fiera," Rawkus pointed at Cole. "Released him."

"Cole! Never!" My mom gasped. "Claire?" She turned desperately toward me. "Is this true?" I nodded, biting my lip. "Oh my…." My mother ran over to Cole.

"Why on Earth would you do that? You know the consequences of your powers!" She lectured angrily.

"He will know. The boy must pay the price." Rawkus said, lifting his scythe.

"Are you going to _kill_ my _son?_" Mom screeched, fingertips tinted with flames.

"He released one of the most wicked villains known to the Multiverse. Without the Battle Force 5, it will be extremely difficult to lock him up again." Rawkus said, devoid of emotion. "There are consequences for disturbing the balance." He threatened.

I had to feel for Cole. Poor kid looked deathly white, my mother was livid, and my siblings were terrified.

"Wait." I spoke up, before even knowing what I was doing. "Instead of just punishing him, can't you let him try to fix it?"

Rawkus sneered. "He's a child."

"Maybe, but he's still a Peacekeeper." I grew in confidence. "Let us all help. If we can release him, we can trap him."

"An admirable attempt, Claire Takazumi," He said, surprising me with the use of my name. "But this is his problem, not yours."

"But it IS my problem!" I shouted. "I should have stopped him from even going into the portal! I have to help!" In a way, I did. I needed to redeem myself.

"Me too." Lily said quietly, and everyone turned to her. "I showed Cole where the Battle Keys were." She stepped forward with me. "I should catch Krytus."

"No, Lily, you're too young." I tried to persuade her, but she stood firm.

"Claire, you can't do this on your own. Air won't do anything against fire."

"Kids!" My mom rose her voice. "None of you will be fighting Krytus! We can call your aunts and uncles, and if-"

"I'm afraid this isn't their fight. Battle Force 5 has long since earned their retirement." Rawkus stopped her, and my mothers' eyes glowed furiously.

"Then I'll go."

"No. Again, this is not your fight. I will send the children." He said coldly.

"Rawkus, they're kids! You can't possibly-"

"I will do what will restore the balance. Age has no meaning to me." He said.

"Fine! I'll do it, then." I said angrily. This guy was getting on my nerves.

"Me too." Lily crossed her arms defiantly, and I knew there was no hope in arguing with her.

"Cole, this is your problem! Get your butt up here!" I demanded, and he sheepishly came to stand next to me.

"You have a weeks time to re-capture Krytus. They will complete this task on their own. If Krytus cannot be contained, he dies." Rawkus pointed to Cole and rode off into the portal.

"Friendly guy." I muttered. My mother growled.

"Who in their right mind would send a group of children into a BattleZone? And fighting Krytus? I mean, why would-" Dad placed a hand on her shoulder and I realized my mother was near tears. She's tried so hard to keep us out of her past, and now we were throwing ourselves headfirst into it.

"Stella. The kids are stronger than you think. We'll be helping them all the way."

"I know, it's just that…They're too young! I can't lose them too!" My mother cried.

"Mom, we can do this." I reassured her.

"Not without vehicles." Sage spoke up. We all turned to the Sentient. "Krytus is a formidable enemy. Even with your powers, you will not stand a chance against him on foot. I have contacted the Battle Force 5. We will see what can be done to assist you."

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"I'm sorry, Cole did _what_?" Vert demanded. Seeing as the guy spent a good portion of his life trying to defeat Krytus, he's got pretty good reason to be upset. Agura, Spinner, Sherman, AJ and Stanford were also gathered in the Hub.

"He unfroze Krytus." I glared. Hey, I wasn't any happier with the kid!

"I'm SORRY!" Cole shouted, again.

"You just _had_ to prove yourself, didn't you?" I replied angrily. Cole clenched his fists, when Mom stepped between us.

"Kids, please. There's been enough fighting today. Now, you have a favor to ask your aunt and uncles, don't you?" She hinted. I sighed.

"Me, Cole and Lily are going to go into the Multiverse and re-capture Krytus. If we don't do it in a week, Rawkus is going to kill Cole. We need your help, so we were wondering if…maybe we could….uhm…" This was tough. I mean, they bonded with these vehicles! They were made after their own personalities! That was like someone coming into my closet and asking to walk around a pigsty in my new heels!

_Wait...WHAT IF I NEVER GET TO WEAR THEM?_

"Could we please use your vehicles? We'll try really hard not to break them." Lily said pleadingly. Dang, she could be cute as heck when she wanted! Why didn't I get that…?

Everyone exchanged nervous glances.

"I mean, we understand if you don't want to, but we really need your help." Lily implored.

"Well…." Vert looked around at his teammates.

"We had some good times, but in the end, they're just cars." AJ said. "You guys can use the GearSlammer anytime!"

"And the Buster!" The brothers added, and I saw Beth give a small fist pump. _She doesn't think she's going, does she?_

"Tangler's all yours." Agura smiled.

"Same goes for the Saber." Vert agreed once she had taken a stand.

"Chopper kinda goes without saying." Dad shrugged, and we all looked at Stanford.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Why do I have to share _my_ car?" He demanded, and Cole bounced over to the Reverb, opening the hood.

"EW!" He gasped for breath, sprinting away. "Dude, you can keep it!"

"Well…fine!" Stanford replied haughtily.

"So? Who's driving what?"

"I WANT THE SPIDERMAN CAR!" Curt yelled, running for the Tangler. I noticed Agura stiffen a little at this, but then she had to grin.

"Curt!" Beth pulled him back. "We're using the Buster!"

"But it's so coolllll…." He whined, and Agura's smile grew prouder.

"Wait, who said you two were coming?" I demanded, inching towards the Tangler myself.

"We wanna help!" Beth pleaded.

"And smash Krytus!" Curt added.

"And _help_." Beth reminded him.

"Smash him into bit-"

"Nooooo way. Too dangerous!" I declared.

"But we made that avalanche today! We totally helped!" Beth argued.

"You guys!" I looked to my parents for help. "Mom!"

"I'm sorry, Claire, but you need all the help you can get." My mom apologized, and I groaned.

"Fine, but I'm in charge." I said crossly. "So you two better be _careful_."

"We will!" They both said eagerly, running for the Buster.

"I'll drive; you take weapons. Deal?" Curt said to Beth, who eagerly high-fived him and nodded.

"A girl on weapons?" Spinner whispered to Sherman, who elbowed him.

"It's 2052, Spin. Sexism is long dead."

I gave Sherman a mental awesome point as I edged again towards the Tangler, only to find Lily already opening the undercarriage.

"No way. Nuh-uh. Out." I pointed. "I'm taking the Tangler."

"No, I am! Green is kinda my thing!" Lily said, blooming a miniature flower in her hands to prove her point.

"What? No! That's not how it works!" I argued.

"Too bad." She shrugged, sitting in the driver's seat.

"MOM!" I demanded angrily.

"Claire, I don't think the Tangler is suited for you." Agura stepped up. "With Lily's bond with nature, it'll work much better for her." I huffed, knowing she was right.

"Which is why I think you should try the Chopper." Dad added, a proud hand on his former bike.

"Wait, the Chopper? A motorcycle? I can barely ride a bike!" I exclaimed, when something dawned on me, and I turned to my mom.

"How do you even expect us to drive these things, anyway? Curt and Beth still need booster seats, and I'm only in eight grade! We can't drive _cars!_" I screeched. This was insane!

"That is why I have developed a new technology." Sage stepped forward. "Each of the cars is programmed to respond to the driver's thoughts."

"So….we can control the car…even when we aren't sitting in it?" Curt asked. Sage nodded. "Cool!" He exclaimed.

"First, I will need a DNA scan from all of you, so that the cars may not be controlled by anyone other than you five." Sage said, but Cole stood frozen.

"Hey! Cole? Anyone upstairs?" I pretended to knock on his head, but he was mesmerized.

"I want that one." He said quietly, pointing to the Saber. Red, his favorite color, and a lethal killing machine. What a perfect match.

"Cole, you just freed Krytus! You really think Uncle Vert, the LEADER OF THE TEAM THAT TRIED TO KILL KRYTUS, is going to let you use his car?" I shook my head.

"Actually, I am…" Vert answered for me, and I facepalmed. After Sage did some technical stuff I'm sure Lily understood, we were ready.

"So, could I control the _Chopper_ with my mind?" Lily asked. I gave her a "Don't even think about it" glare.

"Theoretically, yes. The vehicles will be monitoring their drivers. If Claire was somehow out or range or…incapable, of driving, one of you would be able to take over." Sage explained.

"Yeah, but…who?" Cole asked.

"Whoever is best suited for the task." Sage replied vaguely. "The vehicles are equipped with technology that will allow you to locate Krytus. I have already done so and prepared a Battle Key to take you to his Zone. Remember, he will try to recruit his teammates, who were also banished. You must find them before he does and make sure that this does not happen."

"Got it." I said nervously, taking the Battle Key.

"And, Claire?" My mom bit her lip. "You and the kids…won't be able to come back to Earth until you defeat Krytus."

"Wait, what?" I shrieked. "How are we going to survive?"

"You will have supplies." Sage said, and Agura began distributing packs.

"If you guys are careful, the rations in here will last a week. You all have first aid kits, hyper-thermal sleeping bags, and…."

"You all need to be fitted for Shocksuits." Vert finished.

All of us exchanged a glance.

"Cool!"

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"Claire! Claire Claire Claire Claire Claire look look look!" Beth squealed, running up to me in her Shocksuit. It just seemed wrong to have a little second grader dressed for combat, but I guess you can't have a truly normal childhood with parents like mine. The base color of her suit was a chocolate brown, (It's a Terra thing) and the "pads" or whatever were a turquoise blue, to match the Buster. Curt's was similar, but his colors were more "manly" shades, so he said.

"Aw, you look so cute!" I exclaimed with false enthusiasm, when it was actually killing me to watch her accessorize for a murder mission. "Here, let me put your hair up." I took her curly brown strands in my fingers, beginning to weave them.

"Can you do mine next?" Lily asked, standing proudly in her new suit. It was green, of course, so Flora and Tangler win, but instead of just fabric it was designed with what looked like vines wrapping up the legs, sides and finally running down to her palms, where the design of a white lily (Of course) bloomed.

"Your hair's already in a ponytail." I reminded her.

"But you do it all cute!" She pouted, gesturing to Beth's half-French-braided hair.

"Maybe when I'm done with Beth." I said.

"Okay. Hey, look what my suit can do!" She said, clenching her palm. The green lines snaking along her suit somehow unraveled themselves into a whip, which she laughingly snapped at Cole's, er, _derriere_.

"Hey!" He turned angrily, flames already flickering from his hands. Or was that just his Shocksuit? With the design, it was hard to tell. Cole's suit was bloodred, with orange and yellow flames licking up the sides of his legs and forearms.

"Sage, that's heat resistant, right?" I tilted my head, and Sage nodded.

"It is your turn, Claire." She said, and I walked over to the platform.

"Hey, do these come in skirts?" I had to ask, and my mother and Agura facepalmed. "No? What about high heels?" Sage, laughing, shook her head. "Fine." I grumbled, already designing the suit they way I would have liked it in my mind. See, that's my dream job. Fashion designer. Abbi doesn't exactly agree, but she has the whole "athlete" thing going on for her. Me? Eh. I like tennis, do some softball in the summer, but I'm not too serious about sports. I prefer the school plays and musicals; another dream job! Who wouldn't want to be on TV? I looked down, surprised to find my Shocksuit already done.

_Please be cute please be cute please be...Hey, not bad!_

The base color was silvery gray, with turquoise accents to match my eyes. And kinda tight, if you know what I mean. No wonder Vert fell for Agura! Hmm….could I wear this to Prom?

"Can you do my hair now?" Lily's voice broke me out of my daydream.

"Hey! Don't you have anything to say about my new suit?" I rolled my eyes.

"Well, it's okay, but does it have a whip?" She asked smugly, uncoiling and snapping it once for emphasis. I looked to Sage, who merely shook her head.

"No, but it will react with your abilities. If you choose to vaporize, the suit will do so with you, and reform with you as well." She explained.

"Ha! My suit….reforms!" I attempted, and Lily laughed.

"My suit is be-tter! My suit is be-tter!" She sang, doing a little dance.

"Fine, but my hair will be." I smirked.

"Fine!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Short, yes, but finally am update on SOMETHING! Apologies for multiple hiatuses!**

"So…we really have to do this, huh?" Lily nervously gripped the controls of the Tangler, even though it would do her no good. The "Swirly Portal of Doom," as Cole had catchily put it, stood open in front of us. Goodbyes were said, plans were made, com links given, my mom was trying to stay calm, Spinner was still pouting about Beth being on the weapons systems, etc. You know how it is.

"Yup." I gulped.

"CoffBECAUSEOFCOLEcoff. Ahem." Curt cleared his throat, and Cole gave him a death glare.

"Kids. It's more important to be unified now more than ever." My mom said gravely. Yeesh. What happened to cheerful, sunny cookie mom?

"Claire. I need to speak with you." She said calmly, and again I gulped, throwing my leg over the Chopper and walking over to her.

"This is no game, Claire. I'm counting on you to keep your siblings safe." She said, with all seriousness. I nodded. "The Multiverse is a dangerous place. I've tried to keep you kids out of our past for so long, and now you're being thrown headfirst into it." She shook her head with a weary smile. "Just…stick together. Combined, you are a greater force than you realize."

"What?" I asked, but she was already floating me onto the Chopper. My mom waved a hand, and suddenly we all sped forward, right through the portal.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Stella, what did you mean when you said that, combined, they were a greater force?" Agura, still possessing her bat-like ears, asked curiously.

"I mean that together they are one Essence. Power was distributed evenly." Stella said simply as the portal closed.

"But…what does that mean?" Vert stepped forward, and Zoom looked to Stella, who nodded proudly, looking up to the sky.

"I mean that they, as one, are the Omnis."

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"Okay, so…What are we looking for again?" Curt asked.

"This Zone has Kyburi, or at least her icicle, in it." I replied, rolling my eyes. "Sage thinks Krytus will free her first, so we'll beat him here and set up an ambush. The reds ReSpawn chambers were destroyed, so one crack and-"

"KABLOOEY!" Cole exclaimed with glee.

"Yeah, Cole." I allowed a slight smile. "Kablooey."

"But, why would he free Kyburi first?" Curt asked suddenly. "I mean, I would free the _guys_! Girls can't fight!"

"Oooh, if you weren't in a two-ton tank I would smack you!" Lily threatened.

"Got it!" Beth exclaimed cheerily, reaching forward to give her brother a whack.

"Ow! Hey…" He muttered.

"Girls can fight just as well as boys!" She pouted. "Watch!" Beth reached for one of the Buster's controls.

"Beth!" I snapped. "We're trying to be _subtle_!"

"Sorry." She mumbled. "Hey, Cole?"

"Cole?" I panicked at his silence, whipping around on the Chopper. "Ugh! 180, guys, we gotta backtrack."

"180?" Curt cocked his head.

"Just…follow me!" I groaned, just as Cole reappeared from behind a cliff. "Cole! What was that? You scared us!"

"Sorry. I was looking at something." He said vaguely, and I narrowed my eyes.

"Looking at _what_?"

"A car." He replied coolly.

"A what?"

"A car. It's up there. There was a guy, too, but he didn't see me. You aren't the only car with stealth." He said smugly.

"Yeah, yeah." I waved my hand. "Come on, let's check it out." We rolled around the corner cautiously.

"Hey…that kinda looks like…" Lily murmured, trailing off.

"Looks like what?" I whispered, staring intensely at the tall man who was bent over some sort of machine by the side of the vehicle.

"Tezz's car!" Lily said excitedly. "Come on! Let's go talk to him!"

"Lily!" I hissed. "Mom and him hate each other, remember? We only met him once!"

"So?" She shrugged, driving towards him.

"Lily!" I screeched, but it was too late. She drove right up to Tezz, just as I gave my other sibs death glares demanding they stay put.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Agura?" Tezz gaped as the Tangler approached him. It had been years; what was she doing in a BattleZone?

"Uhm, not exactly." He heard a thin, childish voice as the undercarriage of the Tangler opened, and out stepped…a girl, no more than ten years old!

"Wha-what? Who are you?" Tezz demanded. How dare someone steal from the Battle Force, and a child at that? What could she possibly be doing here?

"I'm Stella and Zoom's daughter, Lily." She said simply. "See?" Tezz watched as the child formed a ball of water between her hands, swirling it into a hurricane and then sprouting a rose. Little did her siblings know it, but Lily was actually both a Flora and Agua. She hadn't told anyone, wanting her siblings to still think they had a chance, but she couldn't hide the secret, or her changed Essence, forever.

"Oh." He said, recovering. "What are you doing in a BattleZone?" Tezz then caught sight of the other vehicles. "Is my team here?"

"No, sorry." 'Lily' said. "Those are my brothers and sisters! HEY GUYS!" She cupped her hands around her mouth, waving them over.

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_Claire POV_

If she thinks I'm going to go over there and have an awkward conversation with one of my mother's greatest frenemies, she's-

"Cool! Come on, guys!" Curt gunned it towards them.

…Fine.

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Tezz observed as the children; they really were just _kids_, got out of _his_ teammates' vehicles. Even dressed in Shocksuits.

_How absurd._ He thought to himself.

"So, anyway, we're here because _Cole_ over there unfroze Krytus." Lily stuck out her tongue at a red-haired child Tezz assumed was Cole.

"It was an accident!" He muttered darkly.

"You unfroze Krytus?" Tezz demanded.

"On. ACCIDENT!" Cole shouted in exasperation.

"Still!" He snapped back, feeling a little bit childish and a large bit upset.

"Anyway, we're here to undo that." Lily shrugged.

"But…you're children!" He said again, with lack of a better way to express his disbelief.

"I thought Tezz was the smart one." The youngest, brown-haired girl whispered to her twin, who nodded.

"What she _means_," The oldest girl, who could have been Stella resurrected, nudged them, "Is that Rawkus wouldn't have it any other way. Cole was supposed to do this alone, but we wanted to help him."

"I see." Tezz nodded.

"Well, then what are you doing here?" Curt challenged, looking somewhat ridiculous as his three feet rivaled Tezz's six and a half.

"I was…working on something." Tezz replied vaguely.

"Hmph. Well, we have to go. We're gonna kick some Krytus b-"

"Come _on,_ Curt!" Claire rolled her eyes, dragging her brother to…the Buster Tank? They _drove?_

"Wait, how are you able to drive those vehicles?" Tezz marveled as the children, with the exception of Claire, entered the vehicles.

"Some technology Sage cooked up." She shrugged.

"Ah, yes. Uhm…how are they? The team, I mean." He stammered.

"Uh, good, I guess." Claire seemed a bit surprised. "Sage is still with the Council; seems like she enjoys it. Uhm….Vert and Agura are married, Sherman and Spinner have a-"

"Wait, what?" Tezz asked in surprise.

"Vert and Agura. They got married?" Claire replied slowly. "Like, the year before our parents? Didn't you didn't know that?" Tezz shook his head. "Well, Dad did say you were out of touch, but _still_!"

"I have been…busy, lately." Tezz muttered in shame. "What about the others?"

"Well, Sherman married one of my mom's friends, but no kids yet, Spinner and him run a software business, AJ is married with two kids, Stanford's still single, but we all expected it, he's a DJ somewhere or other, and…yeah. Vert and Agura have two kids, the same age as me and Cole."

"Huh. Interesting." Tezz mused, but was really just offended that he hadn't known.

"Well…I'll see ya." Claire stated awkwardly, turning to go.

"Ah, yes. I suppose so." Tezz replied, watching as they left.

_They were only kids, yet still ready to face one of the most evil entities in the Multiverse._

_Definitely Takazumis. _


End file.
